Plumber&#39;s test apparatus.



PLUMBERS TEST APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY1|.1915.

C. G. KLEIN.

I Patented Nov. 9,1915.

CHARLES G. KLEIN, OF ELMIRA, NEW YORK.

PLUIVIBEBS TEST APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

latented Nov. 9, 1915.

Application filed May 11, 1915. Serial No. 27,414.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES G. KLEIN, a citizen of the United States, and residentof Elmira, county of Chemung, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plumbers Test Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to plumbers test apparatus and more particularly to a device for use in discovering leaks in plumbing waste pipes, by means of'forcing smoke, essence of peppermint or other suitable detector into the pipes.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple portable device for the above purpose which can be easily connected to the plumbing to be tested and which can be easily manipulated to-ascertain whether the plumbing leaks.

The above and other objects and the novel features of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the drawing which is a central vertical sectional view of an apparatus embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawing the device comprises a cylindrical sheet metal casing or tank 10 provided with beads at its upper and lower end to stiffen it and having the fiat bottom 11, which closes the tank at the bottom. The upper end of the tank has a bail 12 secured thereto by the cars 13 so as to provide a handle'for the device by means of which it may be conveniently carried from place to place.

The tank or casing 10 is divided intermediate its ends into two compartments by a partition ll. The partition 14: has a flange 15 at its peripheral edge by means of which it rests on and is secured to an interior circumferential head 16 located a slight distance above the bottom 11 in the casing 10. The partition 14 has an upwardly tapering part 17 at the inner edge of the flange l5. and the upper end of the tapering part 17 isjoined to a horizontal portion 18.

above stated. the partition ll divides horizontally into two compart the casing 10 ments, the lower compartment located between the partition and the bottom 11 constituting the smoke generating chamber 19 and being adapted to receive a charge of material such as waste or the like to produce the smoke used in the operation of the device. The smoke generating chamber 19 has an inlet opening 20 in the side wall of the same through which the material may be charged into the chamber 15). -The opening 20 also serves as an inlet for supplying the necessary air for the combustion of the gas or smoke producing material.

The water chamber 21 is located above the gas generating chamber 19 and has a filling inlet at joined to a vertically extending pipe 23 on the outside of the tank 10. The pipe at its lower end has a connection 24 which extends into the smoke generating chamber 19 and has an upwardly extending limb passing through the horizontal part 18 of the partition between the chambers. A pipe nipple 26 is fitted in the upper open end or" the pipe 23 and when the tank is filled with water the nipple 26 is removed, the water level being determined by the height of the pipe Therefore, when the water overflows at the inlet to the pipe 23 the proper water level will have been reached. While the device is in use the nipple 26 is screwed in place.

he vertically extending pipe 25 passes through the partition 18 and extends upwardly a considerable distance above the normal water level in the chamber 21. The pipe 25 has a smoke inlet 27 at its extreme upper end and also has a series of smoke and water outlets 28 located at the normal water level in the tank 21. The end surrounding the inlet 27 is secured to the top 29 of an inclosing wall 30 which is mounted and secured to the partition member 18. The walls 29 and 30 inclose a compartment 31 which receives the smoke issuing from the outlets 28 in the pipe The smoke in the compartment 31 discharges through an outlet pipe consisting of the vertical part 32 and the horizontal part 33. The vertical part 32 has an inlet 34 near the top of the compartment 31, and the pipe extends down through the partition wall 18 into the smoke chamber 19 and is joined to the section 33 which extends laterally through the side wall of the chamber 19 and is provided at its outside end with a coupling member 35 whereby it may be attached by some suitable means to the plumbing to be tested.

The smoke chamber 15) is connected to the water chamber 21 by means of a curved pipe 36 which is mounted on the partition wall 18, extends upwardly and is bent so that its outlet end 37 terminates below the normal water level in the tank 2.1. thereby provid ing a water seal between the chambers 19 and 21.

A. bell 38 having a cylindrical wall 39 and a top wall 40 titted ill tile tank 1O the cy lindrical wall 39 being of such size that its open end extends into the tapering portion of the water chamber 21 provided by the tapering wall 1?. Normally the bell rests on the flange 1?) at the bottom of the water chamber, and it may be lifted by means of a handle 42 fastened on the top 40 of the bell. The bell provides the gas chamber -t3 above the water level and surrounding the pipe 36 and gas compartment The operation of the device is briefly as follows :--The smoke producing material having been introduced into the gas generating chamber 19 and ignited, an upward pull on the bell causes a vacuum or decrease of pressure in the gas compartment l3 and draws smoke into that compartment through the duct 36. The water in discharge pipe 27 is drawn upward by this vacuum scaling the series of outlets 28 at the water level, because the pipe being open at its extreme upper end, when the vacuum is created within the compartment 43, the greater atmospheric pressure acts on the water in 23 and 25 to raise the level in the compartment -:l3. The outlets 28 are closed when the level of the water rises, consequently the gas in the pipe 32 and the chamber 30 will not return into the chamber 43 formed by the bell. as a partial. vacuum is created in the chamber 43 when the bell is lifted to draw in gas from the generatingchamber. By thus preventing communication between the chamber 4-3 and the outlet 34, a pumping back and forth of the gas is prevented. By releasing the bell the weight thereof will exert pressure on the gas to force the same through the outlets 27 and 2S and into the inlet 34 of the discharge pipe. 32, 33 from' which it enters the plumbing and the l nkage of the latter may thereby be ascertained. Of course, additional pressure may be applied to the hell by pushing it downwardly. The bell may also he graduated so as to indicate. the extent of the leakage. The depth of the tank 21 into which the edge of the wall 39 excnds may be varied so as to give the ball a greater or lesser movement, as it is desired.

While I have shown and described my invention in detail I do not wish to be lim-' ited to the exact construction disclosed as it is obvious that various modifications. may

be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention What I claim is 1- 1. In a device of the class described, the

combinatibn of a water chamber, a gas generating chamber, a duct leading from the gas generating chamber to the water cham- J combination of a tank having a partition" dividing the tank into a water chamber and a chamber to receive a charge of material for producing a gas, said charge receiving chamber having an inlet for air, a

duct leading from said charge receiving chamber to said water chamber and terminating below the water level in the latter,

said water chamber having a gas outlet, and means for drawing gas through said duct into the ater chamber and capable of forcing the gas out of the water chamber through said outlet, the latter being closed when gas i drawn into the water chamber by said means.

3. In a, device of the class described, the combination of a water chamber, a gas generating chamber, a duct leading from said gas generating chamber to said water chamber and terminating below the water level in the latter, said water chamber having a gas outlet approximately at the water level lot in said water chamber, and a bell in the water chamber providing a gas receiving compartment above the water level. said bell being adapted to be raised to draw gas from the generating chamber through said .duct into said compartment and capable of exerting pressure on the gas in the compartment to force it through the outlet in the water chamber, the gas outlet at the water level being adapted to be closed by the water which rises in said water chamber when the hell is raised to create a lower pressure to draw in gas from said generating chamber.

l. In a device of the class described, the combination of a tank having apartition dividing the tank horizontally into a"- water chamber and a chamber below the water chamber to receive a charge of material for producing a. gas, said charge receiving chamber having an inlet for air, a duct messes leading from the top of the charge receiving chamber to the water chamber and terminating below the water level in the latter, said water chamber having'a gas outlet through its bottom, and a bell in the water chamber having its lower end extending below the level of the water and providing a gas compartment above the water level, said bell being movable so as to draw gas from the gas generating chamber through said duct into the gas compartment in the bell, and being also capable of exerting a pres sure on the gas in said compartm nt to force it out through the gas outlet of the Water chamber, communication between said gas outlet and the water chamber being prevented when said bell is raised.

5. In a device of the class described the combination of a water chamber, a filling connection for said chamber, a gas generating chamber having an inlet for air, and for charging material into said generating chamber, a duct leading from said gas generating chamber to said water chamber and terminating below the water level in the latter, the outlet in the Water chamber of said filling connection being located above the end of said duct, said water chamber having a gas outlet, and means for drawing gas through said duct into the water chamber and capable of forcing the gas from the chamber through said outlet therein, communication between. said gas outlet and filling connection being prevented by the rise of the water in said water chamber when said gas drawing and forcing means is op erated to draw in gas.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a water chamber, a bell in the water chamber forming a gas compartment above the water level in the latter, a filling pipe extending into the bell having an outlet at the 'ater level in the water chamber, a gas generating chamber, a duct leading from the gas generating chamber to the water chamber and terminating within the bell and beneath the water level therein. a gas outlet duct hav ing its inlet above the water level in the bell. said bell being movable so as to withdraw gas from the gas generating chamber into the bell and capable of eXerting pres sure thereon to force the gas out through the outlet duct.

7. In a device of the class described. the combination of a water chamber, a filling pipe extending into the water chamber above the level of the water therein and having an outlet at the water level, a gas compartment surrounding said titling pipe and connected thereto at the top, said filling pipe being open at its upper end, a gas outlet duct extending from above the Water level in .id gas compartment out of the water chamber, and means for exerting pressure on gas in said water chamber to force the gas into the upper end of the tilling pipe whereby the gas will flow out of the filling pipe through the outlet at the water level and into the inlet of the gas outlet duct.

S. In a device of the class described the combination of a water chamber, a filling pipe extending into the water chamber, said filling pipe having outlets at the water level and having a gas inlet located above the water level, a gas duct having an inlet above the water level and leading out of the water chamber, a wall inclosing the inlet of the gas outlet duct and the outlets of the water tilling pipe, a generating chamber. a duct leading from said generating chamber and terminating below the water level in said water chamber, and a bell in the water chamber capable of drawing gas from said generating chamber into the bell and exerting pressure thereon whereby the as is forced into the upper end of the filling pipe, out through the openings therein and into the gas outlet duct.

9. In a device of the class described the combination of a portable casing or tank, a handle for the same, a partition above the bottom of the casing providing a smoke generating chamber between the bottom of the casi ng and said partition, said smoke generating chamber having an opening serving as an inlet for air and for charging material into said generating chamber. the space in said chamber above said partition serving as a water chamber, a filling connection for maintaining the water at a predetermined level above said partition, a duct establishing communication between said smoke generating chamber and the water chamber and terminating below the water level in the latter. a smoke outlet pipe having its inlet located above the water level in the water chamber and eXtending th-rough the smoke chamber. and a bell in the water chamber surrounding the smoke inlet duct and the smoke outlet pipe, saidbell having a handle whereby it may be raised so as to create a vacuum above the water level in the Water chamber to draw smoke into the bell from said smoke generating chamber, said bell being capable of exerting pressure on the smoke therein to force the smoke out through the outlet pipe.

10. In a device ot the class described, the combination of a gas generating chamber, a water chamber having a portion at its edge surrounding the upper end of said generating chamber, a bell having its open end fittin in said portion of the water chamber, a duct leading from said generating cha i.- ber and terminating below the Water level in said bell, a gas discharge pipe having its inlet located inside said bell above the Water In testimony whereof I aflix my signalevel therein, and leading outside said water ture in presence of two Witnesses.-

chamber and means whereby communica- I v tion betiveen said gas discharge pipe and CHARLES the space Within the bell is prevented by the Witnesses: rise of the water iii said Water chamber ALEXANDER S. WVINER, when said bell is operated to drawin gas. JULIA Y. THOMAS. 

